SeaClan: The First Drop
The First Drop This is the first book in the SeaClan Series. 'Chapter One' Bluebreeze climbed the last tail-length and turned to face the sea. From the top of the cliff, she had a marvelous view of her seaside home; the vast, sandy beach, the azule waves lapping at the shore. And if she looked down, she could see cats traveling the paths that led to SeaClan's many dens on the side of the cliff. They had been lucky, finding this place. Their cliff had a gentle slope, allowing cats to move around without as much risk of falling. "Bluebreeze!" She turned to see her brother, Wavecrest, padding towards her. "We're going on a hunting patrol now." Bluebreeze nodded and stifled a sigh. Many of SeaClan's warriors had died in the dangerous journey here. Now, with so few members left, everyone needed to work extra hard to feed the clan. "Are we going to the sea or hunting up by the rocks?" "Rocks." Springtail walked up behind Wavecrest. "The morning hunting patrol already fished." And I was on that too, ''Bluebreeze thought. But she didn't complain. SeaClan needed her. "All right." She and Wavecrest took the lead, while Springtail followed. "Let's hope we catch at least one piece of prey," Wavecrest said. It was very hard to find and kill prey on the slippery rocks. "Moondust and her kits need to eat." Bluebreeze nodded and kept her senses tuned for any inkling of prey. ''There! ''A faint trace of mouse-scent. She leaped up the rocks that littered the ground on the cliff-top. She followed the wavering scent to a crack between rocks, filled with scrubby sea-grass. ''The mouse must be in there. '' Careful not to make a sound, she leaped to the other rock till she faced the clump of grass. There was a rustle, then a mouse shot out of the cranny. Bluebreeze leaped on it, using the lightning-quick reflexes she'd developed from fishing. Feeling the mouse go limp, she scooped it up in her jaws and ran to the edge of the rocky ground, near the tip of the cliff, and waited. Pouncetail had caught a water vole, and Wavecrest another mouse. The patrol had done well. "Good job," Coralfish, their deputy, said as they laid their prey on the nearly empty fresh-kill pile. "Sharkpaw, Turtlepaw! Bring this prey to the elders and queens. You guys," she nodded towards the patrol. "Can split these two fish." "Okay," Wavecrest said. "Come on Bluebreeze, we'll take this one. Springtail, you can have that one." "Thanks," Springtail meowed, picking up the fish in his jaws. Wavecrest and Bluebreeze took their fresh-kill to the sheltered overhang outside the warrior's den. It didn't take long to finish the meager portion, but they ate every last bite. "I finally can feel my stomach," Bluebreeze said, leaning her head on Wavecrest's shoulder. He purred in agreement. "It's so hard to survive here. Sometimes I wonder if SeaClan will make it at all." Bluebreeze felt her heart freeze. "Don't say that," she pleaded. "We're the only clan that escaped the forest, as far as we know, before the Twolegs took over. We've finally found a hope. You have to believe in yourself, Wavecrest, and all our clanmates." For a second her brother's navy blue eyes were hesitant. Then he nodded. "You're right Bluebreeze. Without each other, the warrior code, and... StarClan, we have nothing." Bluebreeze turned away. StarClan! What did they do to help the clans? They'd done nothing when LeafClan, EarthClan, and SeaClan had been starving and exhausted by the Twolegs constant presence in the forest. Greensmoke, their medicine cat, had heard nothing from them, and Tidestar made the decision to leave himself. None of the other clans agreed, but SeaClan had seen the destruction from afar. Bluebreeze remembered the helplessness she'd felt, watching as the forest was torn down. ''At least Nutpaw didn't go through that, ''Bluebreeze thought. Her best friend had died under the paws of a monster in the woods. They hadn't even been able to find her body before they left. Bluebreeze still felt an ache in her heart when she thought of Nutpaw, and Pinefeather, who had been kidnapped by Twolegs. "Hey," Wavecrest murmured, touching her ear with his nose. "Don't look sad. We'll make it." He gave her a confident smile. Bluebreeze licked him on the shoulder. What would they do without each other? "It sure beats being a loner or a kittypet," she said, gesturing to the camp. "And mark my words," meowed Wavecrest. "One day, SeaClan will be restored to it's former glory." 'Chapter Two' Wavecrest left his sister taking a nap in the warrior's den. She was probably tired; he knew she'd been on a couple patrols already, and it was barely sun-high. "Wavecrest," Coralfish called. "We need to go on a border patrol." "Coming!" Though there were no other cats around, Tidestar still insisted on a border patrol, and it really dreained the cats' already spent energy. Wavecrest called to his apprentice, Turtlepaw, and the three cats bounded up the cliffs. "One good thing about the sea and cliffs," Coralfish meowed. "Is that we only have one border to protect." Turtlepaw laughed. "There's more good things about the sea and cliffs." "And don't forget," added Wavecrest, "that border is across this rocky ground and a field of grass." "Speaking of which," Coralfish said. "While Wavecrest and I mark the border, Turtlepaw, can you hunt in the grass? Maybe we'll find another rabbit, like we did last week." "Sure," Turtlepaw said. "Come on, you old flea-bags." The tortoishell apprentice bounded ahead. "Hey!" Wavecrest called. "You better show some respect for your mentor and deputy." Chuckling, Coralfish and Wavecrest crossed the rocks, and then entered the field. Turtlepaw came towards them, her eyes shining with happiness. "Look what I got," she mumbled around the large pheasant she was carrying. "Good work," purred Wavecrest. The three cats marked their border, which stretched along the edge of the field of grass, from the crumbling old Twoleg den to the Thunderpath on the other side. "Tidestar will be happy," Coralfish purred. "The Clan has enough to eat tonight." Wavecrest nodded happily. The fish he and Bluebreeze had shared hadn't been filling at all, and he looked forward to another meal tonight. "Isn't the view beautiful?" Wavecrest asked Bluebreeze. She nodded. "I just love the sea. Why some cats don't like water is a mystery to me." Her clear eyes, looking green in the night, became far away. "Nutpaw and I used to play in the water all the time back in our old home." Wavecrest fought back a wave of sadness. His eyes teared up whenever he thought of Crowfang, his father, lying dead, ribs protruding through his dusty black coat. So many cats had died before Tidestar decided to take SeaClan to a new home, and they'd been dying since. Till now. Now, it seemed they had finally found a home. "I'm taking Turtlepaw down to the beach for some fight-training tommorow. Want to bring Sharkpaw too?" "Sure," Bluebreeze said. "He needs some work on his defense. We've been so busy hunting and guarding that we haven't had much time to train the apprentices." Wavecrest nodded. He turned his gaze to the stars. "Bluebreeze," he whispered softly, as if talking loudly would uspset the tranquility of the night, "do you really think Crowfang is up there, watching us from StarClan?" He braced himself for a disdainful answer, but Bluebreeze shook her head. "I think so, Wavecrest. Maybe." She lifted her head and together they watched Silverpelt spread itself across the inky velvet of the sky. "Wavecrest, Bluebreeze." Sailfin stood outside the warrior's cave, her bright green eyes glowing against her black coat. "Dawn patrol." Wavecrest sighed. Another day had begun. "No, I'm gonna beat you." "No, I'm going to beat you." "I'm goint to beat you both up if you don't be quiet as a mouse till be get to the beach," Wavecrest told the two apprentices. Turtlepaw's soft hazel eyes widened, but Sharkpaw laughed. "I'd like to see you try taking us both on." "Mind your manners, the two of you," laughed Bluebreeze. Soon, they were on the beach. Wavecrest closed his eyes and let his paws melt into the wet, soft sand. "Come on," Bluebreeze said, touching his shoulder with her tail. The apprentices trained in a little sandy pit against the side of the cliff, away from incoming tides. Kelp and seaweed were strewn here and there, and there were a few pieces of soggy driftwood. Further down the beach, the cliff came down in thin, jagged rocks, that crashed to the ground sometimes. No cat went near there without good reason, and the apprentices were forbidden to go there. Only Greensmoke occasionally went because many herbs grew in the moist dirt beneath the jag-fangs, as the SeaClan cats called them. "Okay, Turtlepaw, Sharkpaw, we're going to play to your weaknesses today, and help you improve." Bluebreeze nodded, flicking her tail to silence Sharkpaw's complaints. "Turtlepaw, you attack Sharkpaw first. Sharkpaw, you need to defend yourself. Wavecrest and I will analyze you and help you out with some pointers." "Fine," muttered Sharkpaw. He crouched down, his eyes fixed on Turtlepaw. Turtlepaw sprang at Sharkpaw, a straightforward attack, easy to defend against. But Sharkpaw wasn't good at defense. He leaped out of the way, but stumbled and Turtlepaw used the oppurtunity to knock him over. Sharkpaw lashed out with his long legs and pummeled her chest gently. "Okay, that's enough," Bluebreeze said. "Good job. But Turtlepaw, next time, try to fake out your opponent, and intimidate him by speeding around a bit, so he doesn't know where you're going to attack from. But you were excellent. Like a gem." Turtlepaw's eyes grew sad. "If only my mother were here to see." Wavecrest looked at his paws. Pinefeather had been Turtlepaw's mother and Tidestar's mate. When she'd been kidnapped, Tidestar had realized how terrible their old home had become. Sailfin, Sharkpaw's mother, had taken Turtlepaw in, but Wavecrest knew it wasn't the same. ''And I understand that. '' Sharkpaw walked over to Turtlepaw and nuzzled her. The two apprentices stood together, eyes closed, sharing a moment of closeness. Wavecrest and Bluebreeze exchanged glances. Suddenly, Sharkpaw realized they were watching. He walked away, stiff-legged, and tripped over a piece of driftwood. "So, uh, how'd I do?" "Fine," Wavecrest said, trying not to laugh as the black apprentice scrambled to his paws. Turtlepaw was pretending to be fascinated with the sea. Bluebreeze shot Wavecrest a glare. "Come on you two," she said. "Let's try that again." Wavecrest was sunning himself on a ledge of the cliff, though there wasn't that much sun through the partly-cloudy sky, when Goldshell, Tidestar, and Sailfin came racing down the path that led to the caves. "We've spotted a loner," panted Goldshell. Her pale ginger fur was fluffed up. "A loner?" Moondust's head appeared from the nursery. "What?" Her eyes were wild. "He might harm my kits." She gathered her kits to her. "Mom!" protested Heatkit. The little dark ginger kit tottered outside. "I wanna fight him." "Nonsense," Moondust said. She put the kits in their nest, then listened to Tidestar. "As far as we know, there's only one cat, but their could be more. Wavecrest, Bluebreeze, you come with me to see. Coralfish, you and Sailfin guard the camp and be alert if we need help." "Got it." The two she-cats took up their positions. Wavecrest and Bluebreeze raced after Tidestar, up the path on the side of the cliff. They sprinted across the rocks, and Wavecrest noticed his pads barely stung. ''I'm getting used to this place. They could see the loner instantly. He stood in the middle of the grassy field. He was a tall, lanky tom, with black fur and intense green eyes. "Who are you?" Tidestar began the conversation on a strict note. "Um," the tom said, looking only mildly concerned at them. "My names Carl." "What kind of name is that? Are you a kittypet?" "Not now," he mumbled. "I am Tidestar of SeaClan. These are Wavecrest and Bluebreeze, two of my warriors." Carl dipped his head at Wavecrest, but his gaze lingered on Bluebreeze. "So your from the clans? Thought they were gone." "Not SeaClan. We survived." Tidestar puffed out his chest. "Say, I know this is kind of rude, but I've always wanted to join the clans. I thought they were gone forever, but now..." Tidestar's eyes narrowed. "Why should we let you into SeaClan?" "Well, I'm a really good hunter and fighter, so I don't have to go through your, er, training program." "Apprenticeship," meowed Bluebreeze. "Right. And I'm loyal to the end." His honest eyes found Tidestar's. The leader relaxed. "Would you mind getting a warrior's name?" "Of course not." Carl's eyes shone with excitement. "It'd be great to have a real warrior's name." "Okay, Carl. Welcome to SeaClan." 'Chapter Three' "Blackwind, Blackwind, Blackwind!" The clan finished cheering their newest warrior's name. Ordinarily, new additions, especially former loners, were treated with aloofness. But with so few members, SeaClan welcomed Blackwind as a full warrior. And that was good, Bluebreeze decided. He seemed like a nice cat. Very nice. She walked over to join Wavecrest, who was grooming his gray-and-white pelt on their favorite ledge. "Hey Bluebreeze." "Hi Wavecrest." The two began sharing tongues. "Mind if I join you?" Bluebreeze jumped. Blackwind stood near them, looking nervous. Bluebreeze glanced around the camp. Every cat was relaxing and talking with their friends. Blackwind must feel left out. "Of course not." Bluebreeze ignored Wavecrest's nudges. She noticed Blackwind sat a good distance away from her. He's really reserved. Oh well. He's probably had a hard life. He'll come out of his shell soon. '' Morning dawned cool and clear. The sky and sea seemed to merge on the horizen, forming an endless blanket of blue. Bluebreeze called Sharkpaw and they headed down to the beach for some fishing practice. "You're like the best fisher in SeaClan," Sharkpaw told her. "I'm glad you're my mentor." His comment filled her with delight, but she shook her head. "I'm not that great. But I'm glad you're my apprentice too." They waded out onto a sandbar that stretched into the water. "Okay," said Bluebreeze. "Now we stay really still and wait for the fish to coem near us. We need to be very quiet and not move a hair. When you see a fish, dive slightly ahead of it, so when it tries to swim away, it'll slide into your claws." Sharkpaw nodded. His face was screwd up with concentration. Bluebreeze could tell when he spotted a fish. His lean body tensed, and his eyes focused on the water. Noiselessly, he leaped into the air and landed with a splash in the water. There was a flash of silver as the fish writhed out of his claws. Bluebreeze jumped to meet it and hooked it neatly through the gill. She pinned it down to the sandbar and killed it swiftly. "Whoa," panted Sharkpaw. "I didn't know a fish could be that strong." "You did really well," Bluebreeze praised. "Most apprentices take a long time to grab their first fish." They headed back to camp after waiting awhile and finding no more fish. Bluebreeze lay the fish on the fresh-kill pile, and when Turtlepaw walked over, she gave all the credit to Sharkpaw. The black tom's eyes sparkled with pride. "Hi, um, Bluebreeze." She turned and found herself nose-to-nose with Blackwind. Stumbling backwards she nodded at him. "Hello Blackwind." "Tidestar said you would, uh, show me around the territory and teach me how to fish properly." He smiled a little. "I guess I'll be your second apprentice, if you don't mind." "Of course I don't mind," Bluebreeze told him. "Come on. We'll head for the rocks first, and the field where you first met us. Then we'll walk along the shore and I'll show you how to fish." "Sounds good," Blackwind said. "Come on," Bluebreeze said. She led the way up the side of the cliff. Noticing that Blackwind's kept slipping, she dropped to the back, to catch him if he fell. "You're pads will adjust," she called. He looked embarrased. "Sorry, I'll get the hang of it soon." They loped over the rocks till they reached the field. Then they stood side-by-side, gazing out at the greenish-gray grass. "It's not exactly the brightest place around, is it?" Blackwind commented. Bluebreeze nodded. "Maybe not, but it's home now." She gave a regretful sigh. Blackwind was watching her intently. Feeling her neck-fur prickle, she turned around and began walking back. "The border's on the edge of the field," she said in a brisker tone. "But you must have smelled it when you came here. Now I'll show you how far our territory extends on the beach." Blackwind trotted after her. They scrambled down the cliff and onto the beach. A few wisps of cloud trailed across the blue sky. Bluebreeze showed him where their territory ended on one side, by the kelp field farther down the cliffs. Then they turned the other way. "Those are jag-fang," Bluebreeze said, gesturing with her tail. "They're dangerous, because they could fall at anytime, but no cat is supposed to go there, except Greensmoke, rarely." Blackwind studied the rocks. "Can we explore them?" he asked. Bluebreeze looked at him in surprise. ''Is he crazy? ''He noticed. "I mean, I want to see the whole territory." "Tidestar said not to..." "So? I need to have a good tour of the territory, and Tidestar will never know. We can get out if something does happen, which it won't." "Fine," Bluebreeze relented. "But only for a little bit." The two cats made their way to the sand under the jag-fang. Every instinct in Bluebreeze's body was screaming at her to run, but she couldn't just abandon Blackwind. The black tom seemed intrigued by the thin, sharp rocks. He looked up at their sharp ends fearlessly, with an unreadable emotion in his eyes. "Let's go just a little farther," he meowed. Bluebreeze followed nervously, jumping at every sound, deeper into the darkness. Blackwind was barely visible in the darkness. Bluebreeze called softly to him. "Let's go Blackwind. This is dangerous." "Okay," he said after a moment's silence. He turned and she could see his green eyes glowing in the dark. "Come on." Suddenly they both heard a sound. A soft rumbling, creaking. A few slivers of rock fell into the ground in front of them. It took a minute for it to sink in. "Run!" Bluebreeze shrieked. Blackwind and she pelted through the cavern. Rocks and dust clouded the air. The speck of daylight in the distance was growing dimmer. Her breath came heavily as she pounded along. Just when she was almost there, Blackwind right behind her, Bluebreeze heard a terrible grumbling sound. She only had time to look up and see a giant jag-fang falling right on top of her. Then everything went black. ''Oh, ''thought Bluebreeze. That was Blackwind. She was lying on her back with the tom standing over her. Apart from an aching shoulder where he'd thrown her to the ground, she was unscathed. "You're hurt," she gasped. A long slash ran down Blackwind's shoulder, the skin curling away. He shrugged. "The jag-fang only scraped me." He stood back and let her up. She scrambled to her paws then moved closer, gazing into his eyes. "You saved my life." He turned away. "No I didn't," he mumbled. "If it weren't for my mouse-brained ideas you wouldn't have been in danger in the first place." "Oh Blackwind," she said. She put her muzzle to his. He was trembling, but didn't look away this time. "Don't you know that's not how it works?" "No," he whispered. "No Bluebreeze. This can't happen. ''We ''can't happen." She reeled back, shocked. "Why?" He looked uncomfortable. "I don't want you to get hurt," he said. "Oh Bluebreeze, you don't understand. It hurts me more than you can imagine," he swallowed, "But I can't." With that, he turned away, leaving scarlet drops of blood in the sand. And when Bluebreeze walked away, she imagined that she did too. 'Chapter Four' Wavecrest skipped nimbly down the cliffpaths, feeling completley at home now. His belly rumbled and he sighed inwardly. There wasn't even a fresh-kill pile today, and the scrawny mouse in his jaws would probably go to feed Moondust. Dropping it in the sheltered part of the cliff where they stored their prey, Wavecrest headed towards the ledge to sun himself. There was no sign of Bluebreeze; she must be out on patrol. "Hi Springtail," he greeted the black-and-white tom. Springtail raised his head. "Hi Wavecrest." He looked worried. "You're sister arrived back at camp looking upset. Then she left again." Wavecrest frowned. "Okay," he meowed. "Which way did she go?" Springtail gestured with his tail. "Up the cliffs. Towards the field, I think." "Thanks," nodded Wavecrest. He loped across the rocky cliff-top. Upon arriving near the plain, he spotted his sister sitting on a hill, a lonely gray shape. He padded up and sat beside her. "Hey," he said softly. "Hi," she said without looking at him. Wavecrest could see her turquoise eyes brimming with emotion, and his heartstrings twinged. He and Bluebreeze were very close, and he couldn't bear to see her hurting. "What's wrong?" he murmured, drawing his tongue across her cheek. She sighed. "It's nothing really. Just... something that happened with me and a friend." Wavecrest blinked at her. They were all close in SeaClan, but he couldn't think of a special friend Bluebreeze had. "You don't have to tell me," he said, and she gave him a grateful glance and pressed herself against him. They sat together in silence for a bit, enjoying the warmth of each other's company. Finally, Bluebreeze got up. "We should be getting back to camp." Wavecrest nodded. "We're low on prey today." They trotted back to camp. Overhead, dark gray clouds gathered. "A storm's coming in," Wavecrest observed. "That means no more hunting today." "Maybe it'll clear up by evening," said Bluebreeze. They headed into the warrior's den. Though there weren't many warriors in the clan, the caves were pretty small, and it was a tight fit. Wavecrest stepped on Goldshell's tail and Sailfin's paw before finally making it to his nest and flopping down. Outside, the heavens suddenly unleashed a torrent of rain. It sounded like the pounding of a million paws as it hit the cliff-sides and rolled down the rocks like a waterfall. Wavecrest jumped as lightning lit up the den with electric white light. He caught a glimpse of Blackwind's face. The black tom was stiff and rigid in his nest, muscles tensed. He seemed to be thinking about something outside of the little den. Wavecrest caught sight of a long, ugly red scratch running down his shoulder. How had he gotten that? With a little sigh, he curled up in his nest. There were so little cats in SeaClan, it should have been easy to get to know each one of them inside and out. Instead, Wavecrest felt like each were complete strangers, even his own sister. The sea breeze skimmed across Wavecrest's short gray-and-white pelt as he headed up the side of the cliff, Blackwind and Turtlepaw at his heels. They were on a border patrol, since today's hunting had been much more sucessful. They reached the field, and Wavecrest froze. A little past the border, he could make out the sillhouettes of two strange cats. He squinted, trying to see them better. Suddenly, he was knocked over as a cat raced past him. "Turtlepaw! Where are you going?" Wavecrest and Blackwind bounded after the tortoishell apprentice, but Turtlepaw had always been fast, and now she was only a blur, her legs skimming the ground, closing the distance between herself and the two cats. One of the cats gave a cry and bounded forward, and by the time Wavecrest reached them, they were embracing wildly, faces buried in each other's fur. The strange cat raised her head. She was dark brown, and had a pair of gentle hazel eyes exactly like Turtlepaw's own. "Pinefeather!" exclaimed Wavecrest. "It can't be." A bell-like laugh sounded as the second cat, a younger she-cat, bounded down the hill towards them. "Yes, it is. We survived." Wavecrest stared at her. She was a softer brown, with the loveliest robin's egg blue eyes he'd ever seen. "N- Nutpaw?" But his sister's friend had been crushed beneath the cruel paws of a monster. Hadn't she? Nutpaw smiled. "Yes. Thanks to Pinefeather I survived." Blackwind cleared his throat. "So you know them?" "They're my clanmates, but we thought they'd been killed, and we'd never see them again. How did you survive?" Pinefeather was looking around, while Turtlepaw rubbed against her, purring frantically. "I'll tell everyone that, together." She swung her gaze back to him. "That is, if..." "SeaClan still exists? It does," Wavecrest assured her. "We're struggling, but alive and kicking." Pinefeather gave a sigh of relief. "We saw what had happened to the other clans. We even tried to bring a few of them with us, but they were too far gone. Too hungry, too weak." The she-cat's eyes grew far-away and sad. "Let's show you our camp," Wavecrest suggested. "You'll feel better after you've rested." He led the way, and was surprised to find Nutpaw beside him. "We heard the sea from here. Do you live by it?" Wavecrest found himself unable to look into the pretty she-cat's face. He couldn't understand it. Back in the old forest, Nutpaw had been nothing but Bluebreeze's friend. But now she was full-grown, old enough to be a warrior, in fact. He couldn't keep his eyes off her, but he couldn't look at her either. "Yeah, we, uh, live, by the, um, sea." Nutpaw blinked at him, and he felt his paws prickle with embarrasment. He sounded like an idiot! "This way," he muttered hastily, leading the cats across the rocky part of the cliff. When they reached the cliff-path, Pinefeather looked surprised. "You live on the side of the cliff? Wow. This is really different from our old home." "You'll get used to it," promised Turtlepaw. They skidded down the path. Coralfish frowned as they arrived. "Wavecrest? Who are..." She trailed of, her jaw dropping. "P-Pinefeather!" The other SeaClan cats emerged from their dens. Exclamations of surprise echoed of the sides of the cliff. "Nutpaw!" Bluebreeze bounded forward and tackled Nutpaw, overjoyed. "How?" Her eyes were wide with shock. Tidestar came running out of his den. The whole clan watched fondly as he and Pinefeather reunited, Turtlepaw snuggled between them. "How did you come out of the forest?" asked Sailfin. Pinefeather sat down and tucked her tail around her paws. "Well, I was helped to escape from the Twolegs by another rogue. He took off, and I headed back to the woods. When I saw how it was, I didn't know what to do. I found Nutpaw curled up in an old fox's den, half-dead. While nursing her back to health, she told me what had happened. By the time she was well enough to travel, you had left and the other clans had disappeared." Here Nutpaw sprang in. "We followed any sign and trace of a large group of cats. Slowly, the few cats who'd come with us died, and we were alone. I can't say how happy we are to find you guys." Her blue eyes shone, and Wavecrest felt a strange warmth in his heart. "Why don't you rest for now?" asked Moondust. "You're probably exhausted. Kits, don't bother Pinefeather and Nutpaw. They've had a long journey, and they need to rest." "Aw Momma," grumbled Furlkit. "No buts," she said, herding them into the nursery. "I'll show you where the apprentice's den is," offered Sharkpaw. "She's old enough to be a warrior," put in Bluebreeze, smiling at her friend. Tidestar nodded to show he heard, but Wavecrest guessed he would wait for the two she-cats to recover before making any decisions. Feeling strangely happy, Wavecrest smiled at Nutpaw's back as she followed Sharkpaw down the path. 'Chapter Five' "Sharkpaw! Come on, a blind badger could've dodged that!" The apprentice looked surprised, and Bluebreeze instantly regretted what she had said. "Let's try it again," she said more softly. "Okay," he agreed. Still feeling guilty, Bluebreeze added, "Don't worry. You were really close. I'm just a bit snappish today." ''Because of Blackwind, ''she thought to herself, and instantly a bolt of thorn-sharp pain dashed through her heart. With a sigh, she readied herself for Sharkpaw's attack. Suddenly, they heard a call. Looking upwards, Bluebreeze could see Tidestar standing on the cliff, calling for the clan. "Let's cut the training ses-" Sharkpaw pounced on her and sent her rolling. He quickly darted back, eyes twinkling. "Never take your eyes off your opponent." Laughing, Bluebreeze got to her paws. "You got me there. Come on, let's see what Tidestar has to say." In the camp, Tidestar stood on a boulder. The leader looked happier then he had in days, and it was plain to see why. Pinefeather stood by his side, her hazel eyes merry. "Nutpaw, please come forward." The light brown she-cat started with surprise, then padded towards him. "Nutpaw, you have been through a lot. Not only was your training cut short, but you were hit by a monster, and by StarClan's mercies, have survived. I cannot think of another cat who I'd rather have to be the first warrior made in our new home." "T-thank you," stammered Nutpaw, her blue eyes wide with shock. "Nutpaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and defend SeaClan, even with your life?" There was not a tremor of doubt in Nutpaw's voice. "I do." "Then I give you your warrior name. From this moment on, you shall be known as Nutfeather. StarClan honors your endurance and your kindness, and we welcome you as a full warrior of SeaClan." Nutfeather licked Tidestar's shoulder, then purred and rubbed her chin against Pinefeather's. It was plain to see why Tidestar had named her as he did. ''They must've grown really close during the journey. '' Bluebreeze thought her heart would burst from happiness for her friend. "Congratulations," she purred, rubbing against her. "Thank you," Nutfeather said. "It's so good to be in a clan again." "It's good to have you back," came another voice. Wavecrest stood there. He wouldn't meet Bluebreeze's eyes as he mumbled, "You'll make a great warrior." "Thanks!" Nutfeather flashed him a smile, and he turned and hurried away. ''Now what was that about? ''Bluebreeze laid her tail across her friend's flank. "Come on. We have a lot of catching up to do." They padded to the edge of a cliff and settled down. Nutfeather gazed out across the sea. "It's so big," she murmured. "I don't think I'll ever get used to it." Bluebreeze purred softly. "It's a part of us. We're SeaClan." "Yeah," she said. "But..." "I get it," Bluebreeze said. "It's different now. I don't think it will ever be the same. But we'll heal. You'll see." She realized the truth in those words as she spoke them, but nevertheless, when she spotted a lonely black figure walking along the beach, her heart twisted painfully. 'Chapter Six' Wavecrest yawned and stretched, sending small pebbles and rocks skittering over the edge of the cliff. Goldshell, Bluebreeze, Pinefeather, and Nutfeather were heading out on a patrol to show the two new arrivals the entire territory. He gave a small smile as he watched the smallest soft brown she-cat scramble determinedly up the rocky path. "Hey," a voice said from behind him. He tuned to see a black tom regarding him with blazing green eyes. "Hi Blackwind," he greeted the tom. "How's it going?" "Cool," he said cautiously. Wavecrest noted that he appeared to be nervous, and wondered why. "Do you want to go hunting together?" he asked. "I feel bad just sitting around." "Sure," Wavecrest replied, getting to his paws. "Let's go. SeaClan could always use prey." "Yeah," Blackwind chuckled, but his mind seemed to be on other things. Shrugging, Wavecrest led the way up the path, wondering if they would run into Nutfeather's patrol. Half of him hoped they would and half hoped they wouldn't. It was always a pleasure to see her, but he'd probably just end up making a fool of himself. "So," he said, trying to start a conversation. "Are you beginning to feel more at home in SeaClan? Make some new friends?" "Yep," his companion grinned. "Including you. At least, I hope." "Of course." Wavecrest head-butted him lightly. "We're totally friends. Bluebreeze and I are really close, but it's nice to have another tom to talk to. Girls can be suffocating." Blackwind looked away. "I hear that." Wavecrest frowned. "Something wrong?" "No," Blackwind said hastily, staring at his paws. "It's just... Can I ask you a question?" When he nodded, the black tom continued, "It's about your sister." "Bluebreeze?" he said in surprise. He couldn't tell, but he thought Blackwind might be blushing. "Yeah. How... I don't know how to phrase this, but how forgiving can she be?" When Wavecrest just stared at him, he stammered, "I- I mean, how much stock does she put in doing what's right versus, I don't know, the cats she loves." He flinched as if he had just said something dangerous, something he dared not hope for in case it was snatched away. ''What a strange question. ''"Well, Bluebreeze is pretty loyal to the warrior code. And she never truly forgave StarClan for what happened to us. But," he added, "Once she loves you, she'll do just about anything for you. It's not easy to break her trust. But it is hard to get it back." Blackwind nodded and said nothing, his ears pricked for prey. Shrugging off the odd conversation, Wavecrest did the same. He scented a gull nearby, and spotted the bird's white feathers against the dark gray stone. Dropping into a crouch, he began stalking it meticulously. The thought of such rich prey made his mouth water, and he pounced a little too early. Giving a hiss of frustration, Wavecrest snagged the seagull with one claw as it began to fly towards the cliff, and the sea beyond. Rocks spewed every which way as he sought for purchase on the ground. Just as he made the final leap, Wavecrest felt the ground disappear from under him. And suddenly, he knew prey was the least of his problems. Yowling, he went flying over the edge of the cliff, plummeting through thin air. 'Chapter Seven' "Wavecrest!" Bluebreeze cried. She didn't know how she recognized her brother's scream, but the rabbit they'd managed to snag on the way back from the tour fell from her jaws as she bounded forward, blood roaring in her ears, her pawsteps loud and echoing on the rocky floor. Behind her, Nutfeather, Pinefeather, and Goldshell raced to catch up, but worry propelled her to go much faster. She soon left them behind in a cloud of dust, and froze as soon as she saw the scene before her. Blackwind was crouched over the edge, gripping tightly to a gray-and-white paw. But his eyes weren't on Wavecrest, who was hanging on for dear life. They were fixated on another strange tom, with dark brown tabby fur and slitted gray eyes; a dark, angry red scar rippled across one of them. "Do it Carl," he said. "Do it right now." Turning, he curled his lip at the SeaClan warriors. "Don't come any closer, mange-pelts, or your precious friend gets it." "You're going to kill him any way." Bluebreeze was shocked by how calm her voice was. She hoped no one could see how her legs trembled. ''So this is why Blackwind said we couldn't love each other. His heart belongs to evil. It was all a setup, all fake. He never felt anything for me. I never knew him at all. Shaking her head, she reminded herself that she needed to be strong. Wavecrest needed her. "Let him go," she said. Goldshell unsheathed her claws next to her. "Before we make you," the peach-colored cat hissed. "I don't think you're in any position to bargain," he replied casually. Nutfeather let out a gasp as Wavecrest slipped further, now completely out of view except his pawsteps. Despite his efforts, Bluebreeze knew her brother was weakening. He wouldn't be able to hold on much longer, even with Blackwind's help. Fury rose inside her like a mounting tsunami. "Why are you doing this?! You have no right, absolutely none. We've done nothing to you. We've never even met you before! Let. Him. Go!" "I don't think so," he said. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Talon, leader of a band of killers and maruaders." He flexed his claws. "If I do say so myself." "What do you want?" Pinefeather spoke through clenched teeth. Bluebreeze let out an abrupt howl. Surely a cat down on the side of the cliff could see Wavecrest's position? Surely help was coming? In reality, she knew the truth. SeaClan warriors were so busy and stretched thin with patrols, there could very well only be one or two cats left in the camp, and they might be sleeping, fishing, or down on the beach. Chances were, no one would come before it was too late for Wavecrest. Talon took his sweet time in replying. "Isn't it obvious? We want what you have, which is something you never should have discovered. We want your home. We want the sea, the cliffside, all of it. And you will either give it to us, or we'll fight for it. And trust me, we will win. My cats will pick off each one of you one by one, till there's no one left. Starting with him." He flicked his tail towards Wavecrest. "Never," snarled Goldshell. "You won't harm any of us. You'll never take our land either." "You knew," Bluebreeze said. She was startled to hear the pain in her own voice, but she couldn't stop the words. Her gaze was locked on Blackwind, Carl, whoever he was. "You knew all this time, that you were planning to kill one of us. To hold us hostage like this. It could've easily been me. Were you planning that? Was that why you convinced me to go under the jag-fang? Were you trying to kill me?" "Bluebreeze-" he began in anguish. Talon cut him off. "Don't bother apologizing to this fool. Dark times are coming for you SeaClan. You will never stand against my army. You will all fall, just like this." Turning to Blackwind, he nodded. "You heard the cat. Let him go." And Blackwind did. Never in a million years could Bluebreeze have dreamed of the agony she felt at that moment. Not at Blackwind's betrayal, or even Talon's threats. This time, she felt her heart shatter at her brother's dying screech. The End